13 December 2011
During a routine inspection
'I feel involved in my care and my needs are met.'
'I am able to maintain my independence with the support from staff'.
'The staff are very willing to help me'.
'I am happy and my needs are always met with me fully involved'.
'Staff are terrific and I am able to be involved in activities, which I enjoy'.
'The staff are lovely and very supportive. They help me maintain my independence.'
'Very happy with the staff. They always involve me fully with my care.'
People commented that they were fully involved and supported to make decisions about their care. For example, plans of care have been reviewed with people using the service involved and their needs and wishes have been taken into account. People said that they were encouraged to maintain their independence and felt fully involved in their care.
We were told that staff supported people appropriately with daily living tasks, including personal care and preparation of meals. During our home visits, we observed staff supportively assisting people to meet their personal needs, such as personal care, drinking with assistance and meal preparation.
People we saw and spoke to confirmed that they felt safe and supported by staff from the agency and had no concerns of their ability to respond to safeguarding concerns. They felt that their human rights were upheld and respected during visits and support with personal care.
People we spoke to said that staff were supportive and helpful. Staff knew how to respond to specific health and social care needs and were observed to be competent with such. Staff were able to speak confidently about the care practices they delivered and understood how they contribute to people's health and wellbeing.
Staff told us they received induction training which they believed helped to equip them to do their job. Staff said they received supervision and appraisals and that the management team provided close supervision, advice and support.
People we spoke with confirmed that the agency sought their views about the quality of the service they receive and that this information was sought by questionnaires. For example, questionnaires were sourced from people using the service, family members/advocates, staff and other health and social care professionals. We were able to see that where improvements were needed they were followed up by the agency.